Monday, November 26, 2007

Jura France, Perast Montenegro

"Jura, a rough and rugged land of forests, vineyards and mountains on the border with Switzerland. Base yourself at Le Relais des Abbesses, a chambre d'hôte in Baume-les-messieurs, considered one of the prettiest villages in France." Jura service

"Perast, on the the butterfly-shaped Boka Kotorska - southern Europe's only fjord, an ever-changing body of water fed by sea tides and freshwater aquifers.

"Tiny, tranquil Perast was built by medieval Venetians and later adopted as a Russian naval port by Peter the Great. It is now a sleepy beauty spot. At the shore, local oarsmen wait to carry passengers to the picture-perfect islands in the middle of the fjord. One of the islands, heavily pine-clad, is home to a former Benedictine abbey. On the other, the Gospa od Skrpjele, a manmade stone platform set on a foundation of sunken ships, stands a blue-domed church. In the late afternoon, sunlight illuminates the humid air and shafts of light shine like spotlights on the jaw-dropping scene." - FT.com / Arts & weekend / Travel - Europe's undiscovered playground